Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for updating system BIOS components of a modern computer system on a modular basis.
As functional elements of a computer system increasingly are being integrated into unitary integrated circuits, multiple BIOS images that formerly may have been stored in isolated options ROM's also may be integrated into a unitary firmware system. This larger scale of integration creates a need to be able to update system BIOSs or elements stored in the unitary firmware without having to replace the entire system BIOS.
For example, Intel Corporation, the assignee of the present invention is designing a single integrated circuit that merges the functionality of a processor, a graphics controller and a memory controller. Thus, the integrated circuit may communicate with firmware that includes both a system BIOS governing input/output transactions throughout the system but also may include a video BIOS for the graphic controller functionality. Video BIOS upgrades may be published independently of system BIOS updates. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system BIOS that permits modular updates to BIOS components in the storage medium. For example, it may be advantageous to update the video BIOS without disturbing the entire system BIOS in the storage medium.